The idea of ​​using automatic navigation and roadblocks

The idea of ​​using automatic navigation and roadblocks

Settling luggage, buying a mobile phone, getting a SIM card, going to the pet store, going to the supermarket—each of these is a time-consuming, non-routine activity. Fortunately, Cheng Xiangwu was prepared, and Du Liang enjoyed it immensely.

Halfway there, Ye Luan sent a message.

"That big thing was bought about ten years ago. There are only paper documents, so the exact date is unknown, but the money was definitely paid through my account. The payee was Du's Fish Farm. I checked, and it used to raise fish, but it has since gone out of business."

"Is there an antidote for poisoning by that stuff?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.

“I’m not a professional, but I’m doing my own research. I’ll let you know if I find anything,” Ye Luan replied.

Just then, some professionals were watching Alice take a bath. Cheng Xiangwu turned around, showed her the photo, and asked, "Did you ever have this kind of flower in your family before?"

"Oh!" Du Liang turned his head from the glass, glanced at it a few times, and nodded. "This! I remember seeing it often in the woods by the forest lake when I was a child. My mother said that we planted this to repel snakes and insects. The flowers were not originally this color. I don't know how, but they turned black over time. Later, the ground became too dry, so they all died."

"Do you use this in your candles?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.

"No need?" Du Liang said tactfully, "This is poisonous..."

Recalling the black, withered branches on the parched land, Cheng Xiangwu nodded. Therefore, it can now be confirmed that the wax products containing this datura were modified by union members for special purposes.

Its purpose is easily associated with those two who are still unconscious.

"Is there any way to cure this poison?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.

"...Do you have to ask me about this?" Du Liang pondered deeply. "Probably not. We basically don't touch this. My aunt said that such polluted plants can't survive and evolve naturally, so we don't need to think about it too much."

"Okay." Cheng Xiangwu nodded. "Thank you for your hard work."

Du Liang breathed a sigh of relief and continued to peer through the glass at Alice's fur being blown around by the wind.

After sending the message to Xiao Fu, Cheng Xiangwu did not receive a prompt reply, so she put her phone away.

"Why are you asking this?" Du Liang asked, turning her head to the side. Her head was still pressed against the glass, and her normally neat hair was now a little messy.

“That plant has been used to make hallucinogens,” Cheng Xiangwu said.

“…Hallucinations?” Du Liang frowned. “Hallucinations? Poisonous mushrooms?”

"Pretty much," Cheng Xiangwu said, adding that she couldn't distinguish the details either.

"It's not quite the same," Du Liang said instead. "Poisonous mushrooms are ingested because people don't recognize them, but hallucinogens sound like medicine. Has anyone had an accident because of this medicine?"

“Two of them won’t wake up.” Cheng Xiangwu thought of Gu Wanqiu and added, “There’s another one, she might have an accident.”

If the materials used in the union's wax are the same as those used in the Bai family's wax, then the effects should also be the same. Xiao Fu said that Gu Wanqiu's refusal to have her mind read was a sign of mental problems, while Bai Yunxian said that the other two might also have mental problems. Therefore, in conclusion, Cheng Xiangwu finds it difficult to be optimistic about the future of Gu Wanqiu's mind.

But the man said he knew what he was doing, and Cheng Xiangwu wanted to sigh when she thought about this.

"...Is that the other one the person you're worried about?" Du Liang asked. "You look a bit like that policeman from last time."

"Her?" Cheng Xiangwu was taken aback, feeling a little helpless. "I'd better not be like her."

“But she’s a good person, isn’t she?” Du Liang said, pursing his lips. He then leaned closer to Cheng Xiangwu and asked in a very low voice, “Who is the person you’re worried about? Tell me.”

“You don’t know him, don’t worry about it,” Cheng Xiangwu said.

“…But if she got hurt because of the grass we grow, I should at least apologize to her,” Du Liang said.

Just as Cheng Xiangwu was about to say "she knows what she's doing," she felt that her behavior was somewhat familiar. She paused, and in an instant, she understood something.

“We’re going somewhere tomorrow, and the person who’s been protecting that person is coming with us,” Cheng Xiangwu said softly to Du Liang. “Then that person might be unattended, and I’m genuinely a little worried. Could you go and keep an eye on her for me?”

"Sure!" Du Liang smiled as soon as he heard there was work to be done. "Who is that person?"

“The mayor of Senhu City,” Cheng Xiangwu said.

"...Sister, you even know the mayor?" Du Liang was greatly shocked. "Isn't that a very high-ranking official?"

"Right?" Cheng Xiangwu didn't quite understand either, but the mayor must be a very powerful official.

"Sister, you're so amazing..." Du Liang said enviously.

“…Mmm,” Cheng Xiangwu replied softly.

"Do you know that policeman and that blue-eyed foreigner?"

"really."

Why does she call you "Five Spices"? Is it a nickname?

"More or less."

"Can I call you Five Spices?"

"...Let's not."

Before Cheng Xiangwu began to seriously consider escaping the pet store, Alice's fur was finally completely dry. Although she was a white cat both before and after entering and leaving the pet store, she looked inexplicably newer after being exposed to the sun.

"...Alice smells so good." Du Liang felt unfamiliar with the new cat in his arms, yet he couldn't help but lean in to smell it. Alice didn't meow, and it almost never spoke, but it would always dodge away whenever someone leaned in.

Next came changes of clothes and personal items, as well as supplies for the cat. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and with Cheng Xiangwu's experience in procuring things for Goulson, this operation should have gone much more smoothly.

However, the supermarket in the mall has not yet resumed normal operations due to yesterday's incident.

"Don't you think there's been too much going on in Senhu City lately?" Two sanitation workers in vests chatted in the shadows, their backs hunched over and their heads propped up, while the sanitation truck next to them stood straight in the sunlight.

"That's right, all sorts of problems arise when there are a lot of outsiders."

"That's not right. We have a lot of problems here too. This commotion has caused... you know, a chemical reaction."

"I don't think that's a problem. Hasn't it always been like that here? Isn't it fine?"

"That's true. I think it would be better not to hold this birthday event at all."

"that is."

The conversation thus drifted into mundane routine, and after a brief rest, the two staff members got up again and threw themselves back into their work. The conversation seemed to be synonymous with its content, having never been necessary in the first place.

"Let's go," Cheng Xiangwu said. "Let's go look around somewhere else."

"Okay!" Du Liang followed.

On her way back to the hotel carrying large and small bags, Cheng Xiangwu's phone vibrated unexpectedly. She had no choice but to put down the large bag of cat litter and litter box by the roadside. The caller was from an unfamiliar landline number. She paused before answering, tucking the phone between her ear and her fur collar.

"It's me." The person on the other end of the phone was Xie Wuchang. Her usual gentle and polite manner was nowhere to be seen, replaced by anxious anger. "Ms. Cheng, are you available now?"

Cheng Xiangwu glanced at Du Liang, "It's convenient now, I have something to do tonight."

"...Could you please come to the interrogation room at the Municipal Public Security Bureau? We arrested someone in our operation, but he refuses to talk and specifically requests to see you," Xie Wuchang said.

“…I’m coming over now.” Cheng Xiangwu hung up the phone, thinking how troublesome it was, and then looked at the person watching her beside her.

"Where are we going?" Du Liang asked. "Can we come along?"

Alice looked over too.

"I'll go back and put my things away first, then I need to go to the police station." Cheng Xiangwu thought for a moment, "Why don't you come with me? Consider it a chance to get familiar with the work environment beforehand."

"The police station!" Du Liang was clearly quite interested. "Why do we need to go to the police station?"

I'll tell you on the way.

The city police station is located next to the city hall, and it is recommended to walk there and back. At this moment, flat police officers and gleaming motorcycles are parked haphazardly on the cement ground in front of the glass doors. People with different words written on their vests, such as traffic and security duties, are huddled together in twos and threes. Each group is not very loud, but the noise at the entrance of the police station is endless.

The Moriho City Public Security Bureau does not have a criminal investigation division, and the criminal investigation unit is not well-staffed, but it is sufficient to handle the meager number of cases Moriho City has handled in previous years. After all these incidents, the city's Public Security Bureau chief, who also serves as the deputy mayor, addressed the morning meeting, stating that he would communicate with the city committee regarding budget preparation to strengthen the city's ability to secure financial resources.

Leaving aside the police officers watching the visitors at the door, Cheng Xiangwu placed Du Liang and Alice in the small pavilion in the green belt outside the house, telling her not to wander off and to call if anything happened. Then she called Xie Wuchang to tell him that she had arrived.

The law enforcement officers who rushed to the front hall still had bandages on their heads and their uniforms were in disarray. She didn't have time to wear sunglasses, and her expression of having no time to manage things was now completely heading down the line of standards.

"You should go to the hospital and lie down," Cheng Xiangwu said truthfully. The parts of Xie Wuchang's body covered by clothes were more serious, and it was indeed difficult for a normal person to control their expression under such pain.

“…No.” Xie Wuchang simply shook his head and quickly led the way. “If I lie down again, there will be no one to oversee the suspect’s statement and the ownership of the evidence.”

"Why didn't you call that mind-reading master in this situation?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.

"The police station does not allow information to be leaked at this time," Xie Wuchang said.

"Where is your captain?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.

"...I got a little injured." Xie Wuchang's retreating figure seemed to say this.

Cheng Xiangwu didn't say anything more.

The interrogation room was already occupied, and quite lively.

“This person is us. We arrested him for the case we're investigating, not for you—” Jiang Ling’s voice cracked, but she still couldn’t hide her anger.

"Officer Jiang, please calm down." The voice that interrupted her anger was leisurely. "Thank you for your concern for public safety in Senhu City. I understand that you are all eager to solve the case, but please allow me to say one more thing. This suspect is undoubtedly a serial offender. In the case of multiple crimes, according to the principle of absorption, we should start with the most serious crime. And compared to the conflict you had this morning, I believe that the long-term production and sale of illegal drugs is the serious crime."

Cheng Xiangwu paused upon hearing the keyword "banned drugs".

The door opened, and on the other side of the glass, the handcuffed man stood silently with his head down. On this side, Jiang Ling was arguing with a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties or fifties, while she was holding an aluminum box in her arms. She wasn't injured, but she looked like she was close to ending up in the hospital.

"You've arrived." The middle-aged man stood up with a friendly smile and looked at Cheng Xiangwu. "You must be Ms. Cheng. Thank you for coming all this way. I am Pan Jiangliu, the political commissar of the Senhu City Public Security Bureau. Although I am in charge of internal affairs, all police officers in the police station are here to serve the people. Just call me Officer Pan."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling rolled her eyes and smirked, but at least she had her back to the person.

"Why are you in charge of internal affairs getting involved in interrogation matters?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.

The conversation paused for a moment, and she noticed the sound of the air conditioner running. The police station actually had the air conditioner on at this hour.

"...Before taking up my post, I am first and foremost a member of the public security agency, so naturally I must be concerned about public safety." Pan Jiangliu's smile remained unchanged, "especially the suspicious civilian groups that have been disturbing the safety of Senhu City all along."

After saying that, she looked inside the glass and said, "Given our department's lack of interrogation experience, I think I must come and observe the interrogation techniques of these visiting law enforcement officers myself, and make sure that nothing inappropriate happens in our police station."

“Since you’ve already said you lack experience, don’t try to give me advice. Besides,” Jiang Ling pointed to the corner of the ceiling, “there’s a security camera here.”

“Please calm down. I understand you don’t want the operation to be disrupted, but I just think it’s better to see it with your own eyes.” Pan Jiangliu said, then sat down and looked at Cheng Xiangwu. “This opportunity is really hard to come by. I hope Ms. Cheng can help us maintain peace in Senhu City.”

"Just talk to them as much as you can," Xie Wuchang said in a deep voice, handing over an earpiece. "I know these people are all a bit off their minds, but I hope you can hold on a little longer."

Cheng Xiang nodded.

The interrogation room is a place where it's hard to keep your eyes open. The space is small, and the lighting is dim in most areas and glaring in some. The person being interrogated needs to be mentally prepared before sitting down, so as not to forget their position.

The suspect being questioned was a hunchbacked young man with shrugged shoulders, and he still smelled of gunpowder. Seemingly disturbed by the sound of the door opening, he looked up and saw Cheng Xiangwu, who was leaning back in his chair with his legs crossed.

"You were looking for me," she said.

The suspect just stared at her face, scrutinizing it as if he were sketching it.

"We caught another accomplice of this man, but he's already passed out," Xie Wuchang said into his earpiece, finding the feeling of openly whispering quite novel.

"Is your companion still awake?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.

"...Those who complete the mission will naturally be rewarded." The suspect said slowly, grinning, but his eyes remained fixed on the contours of the person opposite him.

That means he won't wake up. Cheng Xiangwu nodded. "Then what is your mission?"

The suspect did not speak.

"Remember my face?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.

The suspect laughed.

“This person shouldn’t have the means to contact the outside world…” Xie Wuchang said, “Let’s try to probe in this regard.”

“No, we should directly interrogate this person about their purpose,” Pan Jiangliu interjected. “Just say that their companion has already confessed, and let this person explain the situation themselves.”

“These people won’t fall for that.” Xie Wuchang’s voice had never been so harsh before, even though the person opposite him wasn’t a criminal.

"How much do you really know about the local criminals?" Pan Jiangliu said dismissively. "Ms. Cheng, please do as I say."

Ms. Cheng thought for a moment and said, "I met your companion, and she told me about your situation."

“Ms. Cheng, please—” Pan Jiangliu seemed to want to correct something, but Cheng Xiangwu directly took off her headset and threw it on the table. The small electronic component spun on the table reflecting the metallic light and bumped into the suspect’s arm.

"...Her?" The suspect frowned, his eyes narrowing and trembling. "You...saw her?"

“Yes,” Cheng Xiangwu said. “She explained the reasons for your actions. Do you want to add anything?”

"What did she say?" the suspect asked, craning his neck a little.

“Just say it,” Cheng Xiangwu thought for a moment, “that you’re afraid of me.”

"No, that's not it—" The suspect suddenly slammed his fist on the table, knocking the headset, which had already slipped to the edge, to the floor. "You're a sinner! Have you never repented for your original sin, or even felt a shred of remorse?!"

"Feel guilty about what?" Cheng Xiangwu asked, puzzled.

“…Listen to me.” The suspect suddenly calmed down, adopting a reasonable demeanor, and said earnestly and urgently, “The so-called survival of the fittest, the result of natural selection and the process of selection are beyond our human comprehension, but there is no doubt that the result will be the only meaningful existence on this planet, in the universe, and even in the world, which is God. And the being we serve is God’s incarnation in this world. We cannot change God’s actions, all we can do is accept and worship, not to mention that this incarnation is willing to enlighten us and grant us true and eternal peace.”

To be honest, Cheng Xiangwu thought the person opposite her seemed quite sincere, as if they wanted to lay their heart out. But just like with Xu Lidong that time, it was too inappropriate for these words to come out of this person's mouth. According to Lin Che'an, this knowledge, ideas, and even attitudes did not belong to this person, but to a group.

She wasn't speaking to an individual, but to the collective consciousness of a group, urgently urging her to have her consciousness affirmed and strengthened. Thinking of the unidentified flying object in mid-air, Cheng Xiangwu felt it was already large enough.

As if lost in his own world, the suspect began to speak to himself, “What a compassionate feat! Resistance, thought, and exploration are meaningless. Humanity is but a speck of dust on its unstoppable path. One day this planet will wither and humanity will vanish. Only the accepted believers will remain in that eternal paradise!”

Such a devout and moving voice rang out loudly like a bell in the cramped interrogation room. Cheng Xiangwu frowned, finding it a bit noisy.

"And you, all you've done is delay—"

"If you're so capable, why are you afraid of me?" she interrupted.

"...Why should we fear humans?" The suspect's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "You are a sinner, and your sins will pollute the purity of humanity. What we are doing is simply to cleanse humanity of its sins, yet you mistake it for fear? How absurd!"

"Really?" Cheng Xiangwu tilted her head. "I thought you were afraid I'd start a fire—"

"You think the incarnation of God would fear fire like a mortal being?" The suspect laughed smugly, a genuine laugh, perhaps because this smugness stemmed from his original consciousness. "The incarnation of God has no weaknesses; he is omnipotent and omniscient!"

“…I see.” Cheng Xiangwu pondered, wondering if Bai Langtao knew this.

“If you can repent now, then I will have completed my mission, and my asceticism will have had meaning,” the suspect pleaded. “Don’t continue to wander aimlessly. God is so merciful. If you are willing to turn back, then we are willing to accept you as one of us—”

"No thanks." Cheng Xiangwu interrupted the other party's missionary work. "Your companion said your organization's culture is terrible, I'm not considering it."

“…She was also a pitiful person.” The suspect sighed. “She focused her attention on us, but because of this, she was unable to receive God’s grace and was disabled, unable to go to Paradise.”

"...Does she know that you all think this way about her?" Cheng Xiangwu asked doubtfully. If one person thinks this way, does that mean everyone in the group thinks this way?

"It doesn't matter." The suspect reverted to his initial expression. "Are you willing to repent?"

"I don't have that idea," Cheng Xiangwu said.

Suddenly, some noise came from outside the one-way glass.

“…Yes, that’s right.” The suspect lowered his head and said, “This is the task we’ve been waiting for.”

The man opened his mouth but made no sound. Cheng Xiangwu recognized the movement and quickly reached out, dislocating his jawbone before the mouth could close again.

The interrogation room door was kicked open.

"Let me make this clear first, I—" Cheng Xiangwu said, while taking out the wet wipes she had gotten from the pet store earlier from her pocket. When she turned around, she saw that the person standing menacingly at the door of the interrogation room was actually Du Liang. Alice was nowhere to be found.

She stared intently at the suspect who had fallen onto the chair after being released, her expression cold. "What are you talking about?" Her voice was low, her anger barely contained; this was the first time Cheng Xiangwu had ever seen her so angry.

The suspect, whose movements were restricted by handcuffs, struggled to sit up from the ground and looked toward the intruder.

"Ms. Du—" Another person ran in from outside the door. It was Xie Wuchang, panting and carrying Alice. The cat was quite restless in her arms, trying to bite her chin. The person holding the cat kept dodging, but dared not let go.

"...Why are you here?" Cheng Xiangwu stood up and looked at Xie Wuchang. "Let me make this clear first, I have no intention of killing this person."

"...That's not the point anymore." Xie Wuchang sighed.

"I came in because I was a little worried," Du Liang said softly, his expression turning serious again. "This person is wrong! My sister is not wrong, she doesn't need to repent!"

"I didn't plan on either." Cheng Xiang nodded.

The suspect on the ground struggled to his feet and stared at Du Liang, mumbling something, but it was difficult to understand due to the lack of a tongue.

"You're the one who should apologize!" Du Liang, unperturbed by the implication, declared righteously, "Apologize! Apologize now!"

The person couldn't apologize anymore. Cheng Xiangwu walked towards Xie Wuchang and took Alice, who was trying to bite her bandage. "Go and check that person's teeth. The doctor who operated on that driver said the change occurred halfway through the surgery."

“…I understand.” Xie Wuchang was taken aback, then quickly stepped forward, pressed the suspect down, and began searching his mouth.

Cheng Xiangwu handed Alice, who had been using her sleeve to file her nails, to Du Liang, and said, "Let's go."

Du Liang reluctantly took Alice, "...But that person—"

"Please wait a moment." Pan Jiangliu's voice came from the corridor. "Your actions have caused great trouble for police work."

“If you’re not satisfied with the result, go ask him yourself.” Cheng Xiangwu raised her chin and pointed to the interrogation room. “Once the bones are put back in place, he can speak again. Go ask him what you want to ask.”

Pan Jiangliu paused for a moment, then regained his serious expression. "Leaving aside your unauthorized changes to the interrogation format, this young lady should also give us an explanation for barging into the police station's interrogation room."

Cheng Xiangwu stopped Du Liang, who was about to say something, and said, "What do children know about these things? You police officers couldn't stop her yourselves."

“Exactly,” Du Liang added quietly from behind, “Nobody stopped me from walking in…”

Pan Jiangliu was about to say something when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out, glanced at the two of them, turned around, answered the call, and quickly left the corridor. "Yes, Director, I..."

"That person is so strange," Du Liang muttered. "She's a police officer too, right? Why did she say we had a problem?"

"...Why?" Cheng Xiangwu touched the fur collar.

At the other end of the corridor, Jiang Ling walked over carrying a suitcase.

"Please speak to that guy, and also please chat with us for a bit later." She nodded to Cheng Xiangwu, then looked at Du Liang and the cat in her arms, "Excuse me, who is this...?"

“She’s the Ms. Du I mentioned in my report.” Xie Wuchang walked out of the interrogation room, raising his hand, a tooth dripping from the bloodstains on his glove. “I found this. It’s empty, but there’s something inside.”

"This is a great help." Jiang Ling said, squatting down and unfolding the box on the ground. She took out a small glass bottle from the dazzling array of evidence specimens, put on gloves, and put the tooth in. While disinfecting the bottle and tweezers, she said, "We'll have to wait for the specific tests, but Ms. Fu said there are similar cases to test. If the reactions are similar, we'll use her results directly."

"What should we do with that person?" Cheng Xiangwu asked, turning his head. The suspect in the interrogation room was lying on the floor, vomiting blood.

“…No matter what, we have to wait for the captain to wake up.” Jiang Ling said, picking up her suitcase and standing up. Her face and voice were so low that she couldn’t lift her head. “She was shot and dragged this person back alive. No matter what, it’s her fault.”

The atmosphere became somewhat heavy. Several police officers said "excuse me" and entered the interrogation room to take the suspect out. As they passed by, the man with half his face covered in blood kept looking up and staring at Cheng Xiangwu the whole way.

"...What that person said before sounded a bit like what Grandpa said before he passed away." Du Liang frowned as he watched the man being led away. "Is that person going to jump into the lake too?"

"What do you mean by that?" Jiang Ling asked, puzzled. "The people at the detention center will be keeping an eye on things. As the only source of information, this person can't just jump into the lake so easily."

"Let's go out first." Xie Wuchang's expression softened, and he took off his gloves as he spoke.

The four people and the cat left the police station along the corridor and stood outside the door to get some fresh air, but the noise and stares made it impossible for them to stay in one place for long. After wandering around, they sat down in a children's corner of the city hall.

"Speaking of which," Xie Wuchang looked at Alice, his expression quite conflicted, "you've decided to go down the mountain to live?"

"...Sigh." Du Liang sighed as he talked about it, "My aunt kicked me out of the house, and I'll have to fend for myself from now on..."

"I see," Xie Wuchang said in surprise, then smiled, "That's good too."

"What's so good about it?" Jiang Ling asked, puzzled. "This sounds like a complete family tragedy."

“…Every family is different,” Xie Wuchang said with a smile.

"It's not that different?" Jiang Ling was still puzzled, but she didn't dwell on it too much. "Let's not talk about that for now, Ms. Cheng. Would you be willing to share some details of the topics you discussed with the suspect?"

"Proselytize?" Cheng Xiang asked five times. "I don't believe in religion."

"The topic has veered off course too obviously!" Jiang Ling pointed out, then nodded and said, "But this part is also good. Would you be willing to explain it?"

"...I really don't understand what these people are thinking. I couldn't understand any of that." Cheng Xiangwu said truthfully.

“Then let’s talk about the companion you mentioned.” Jiang Ling crossed her arms. “That doesn’t mean the one we’re talking about, does it?”

“That works too.” Cheng Xiangwu thought for a moment, and decided it was time to let these people know about this. “We’re talking about Lin Che’an.”

No one spoke for a moment.

“However, as you’ve heard, she wasn’t entirely accepted by the union, and she hasn’t actively participated in any similar terrorist attacks.” Cheng Xiangwu said, looking at Xie Wuchang, “Did your operation find any evidence to arrest her?”

“…No.” Xie Wuchang frowned. “The address we found—”

"Xiao Xie, don't tell the captain about this before he wakes up," Jiang Ling interrupted.

“Sister Ling, we can’t just wait like this.” Xie Wuchang said sincerely, “Lin Che’an may be an oversight that we didn’t anticipate. Even if we can’t define her behavior as a crime, we can at least take this opportunity to find new clues.”

Then, she looked at Cheng Xiangwu and said, "Moreover, the captain said that she would like to see us grow."

“…She also said safety first…” Jiang Ling said softly, lowered her head and sighed deeply, then looked at Cheng Xiangwu, “You sound like you really want Dr. Lin to be arrested. Would you mind telling us why?”

“This morning, I asked her for psychological counseling, and she said she hoped to help me.” Cheng Xiangwu looked at the city hall in the distance. “But she also admitted that Qin Zixin, the car accident, the supermarket—these were all clues she proactively gave to that union member. Can’t you really think of a way to lock her up?”

Killing a civil servant is a hellish problem, especially a highly skilled, technically proficient officer within the public security system who has been active recently and enjoys widespread trust. Modern technological advancements do not allow life to be squandered, especially lives that are still useful.

“…Wait a minute.” Du Liang raised a hand. “Why is she helping her sister, but her sister wants her arrested?”

“Because she can’t help.” Cheng Xiangwu thought about Xiao Fu’s explanation. “Simply put, she’s causing trouble for me, and the guild members just happen to be looking for a target.”

The supply and demand relationship was established so simply, but Cheng Xiangwu felt that she didn't need to worry about her mental health for the time being. As assassins, they also had to undergo psychological assessments, once after each mission, and she always got full marks.

Jiang Ling closed her eyes and pondered for a long time before opening them and saying, "She's part of the local public security system, so she's difficult to touch."

"Ah!" Du Liang said happily, "Then kill her—"

Cheng Xiangwu patted her head, and she quickly fell silent.

“…I pretended not to hear that.” Jiang Ling’s lips twitched. “Speaking of the police, before we came here we always thought the mayor and Bai Langtao were in cahoots, and her achievements reflected that, but when we got here we found that their relationship was very strained, and the tacit understanding between business and politics was out of sync. On the contrary, the police system’s actions deliberately followed the ups and downs of business, and the background of the leadership could not withstand scrutiny.”

As she spoke, she touched her box, the gloves rubbing against the surface, making a soft rustling sound. Alice tried to reach out and touch it, but the box was moved away.

"Although our operation didn't find any clues related to Dr. Lin, we did find a weapons storage point used by union members. The captain said it was all old stuff, but we can trace the transportation route. I suspect it's connected to the Bai family." Xie Wuchang's face darkened as he said this. "The previous bombs were the same; they're all a bunch of lunatics..."

She paused, composed herself, and said, "Besides this, I also suspect that the reason the drugs sold by the union members were able to circulate was because the investigation was being controlled by the Municipal Public Security Bureau. You heard what Pan said; the judgment on illegal drugs can be changed at will. They are very strict about this information."

"Therefore, we believe the Bai family's focus of interference has shifted from the Senhu City judicial department to the public security department." Jiang Ling looked at Cheng Xiangwu, "Do you know any inside information?"

This is not difficult to explain. If the mayor dies, the Bai family will have to find someone else to support in order to control the surveillance cameras inside the city hall.

“Bai Langtao hasn’t contacted Gu Wanqiu for half a year,” Cheng Xiangwu said.

"...How did you know this?" Jiang Ling asked, her face full of suspicion. "Did you break into her bedroom and check her phone?"

"Mmm." Cheng Xiangwu decided to just brush it off like that.

"...Okay." Jiang Ling gave up. "Was the turning point six months ago...?"

She pulled out her phone from her pocket, its case almost as thick as a brick, and started typing rapidly, her thumb moving so fast it was hard to see.

“When we were investigating the gunman, we asked the traffic bureau for the surveillance footage. You know, the gunman appeared dead, but I watched the traffic footage later.” She typed as she spoke. “I didn’t find the kind citizen, but I saw some other things.”

Xie Wuchang was taken aback. "Eh, they're not saying it's not allowed—"

"Xiao Xie," Jiang Ling interrupted with a smile, looking up, "The captain said that we can handle the parts that aren't included in the report ourselves."

"Oh, oh." Xie Wuchang pursed his lips.

“Senhu City is so small, yet there are people flying helicopters. I also glanced at the radar data records, and they are basically all taken off by Bai Bai’s company, with destinations either the mining area or their own airport.” Jiang Ling muttered, then suddenly looked up, “I’ve got it, that’s it.”

The other three huddled together to look at the extended phone screen, a white-background, blue-lined flight path recorder showing a flight time of only fifteen minutes. The operator then extended a fingertip to zoom in on the screen to display the destination, which could be described as being in the middle of nowhere.

“This is a flight record from six months ago. The destination was very special, so I remembered it,” Jiang Ling said. “It’s a crematorium.”

“…Crematorium.” Xie Wuchang muttered to himself, “But I remember there’s a crematorium at the municipal hospital.”

“That’s right.” Jiang Ling nodded. “It’s very suspicious. In addition, you mentioned that there used to be frequent thefts of corpses in Senhu City, so I focused my investigation on this crematorium and its records from six months ago. Some people in the industry gave me some information.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Wuchang smiled somewhat happily, but quickly composed himself.

“This crematorium closed down more than ten years ago, and of course it was the same six months ago, but its investor is Bai Bai, and the boss flies over here in person so he can open it however he wants.” Jiang Ling sneered. “What’s special about this crematorium is that it provides a quick adipocere service for corpses. And a staff member told me that six months ago they were temporarily called back to work and took over a headless corpse.”

After she finished speaking, no one responded for a moment, including Jiang Ling. She frowned, put her phone away, and rubbed her temples.

"Do you have an identity?" Xie Wuchang asked.

"There's no record," Jiang Ling shook her head.

"...Does their family have a special religion?" Xie Wuchang asked doubtfully.

"More than 30 years ago, their family believed in a local earth god called the Immortal of the Lake, but they don't anymore." Cheng Xiangwu turned her head and asked, "Did your family used to have the custom of sending the dead for adipocere?"

"What is adipocere?" Du Liang asked, puzzled but also serious. "We've always drowned ourselves in the lake."

"...In short, could this behavior be related to the faith that the suspect mentioned?" Jiang Ling said. "Moreover, they started contacting that union six months ago, which matches the timing, but the motive is still unclear."

Progress stalled again. Du Liang looked around and began to rack his brains.

“I don’t know about adipocere, but I do know a story about corpses and candles!” Du Liang said. “My aunt told me it. Would you like to hear it?”

“The local legends contain historical information, please tell us!” Xie Wuchang nodded.

"It's like this," Du Liang cleared his throat somewhat shyly, "...in a place called ancient Rome—"

"Why is it a foreign fairy tale?!" Jiang Ling was greatly shocked.

"Was ancient Rome a place for foreigners?" Du Liang wondered.

“…I’m sorry, I’ve been having a stress reaction to foreigners lately, please continue.” Jiang Ling sighed.

"Hmm? Hmm." Du Liang didn't quite understand, but nodded. "Anyway, in a place called ancient Rome, the emperor there was a man named Nero, who particularly disliked a group called Christians."

“…Why is it still a historical story?” Jiang Ling said, clenching her fist.

“But Nero was a very high-ranking official, and the Christians wanted to persuade the emperor to treat them better, so they frequently sent people to persuade him, but each time they never returned.” Du Liang said, patting Alice’s head. “Then one day, a man called the Prophet stepped forward and said, ‘I will show the emperor a miracle so that he will believe,’ and then he went over. The Prophet told Nero, ‘Our Lord has risen from the dead!’ Then Nero said he didn’t believe. The Prophet then brought a bunch of candles and lit them, and the light cast the shadow of a person. The Prophet said, ‘Now you believe, right?’”

“Their words and actions don’t match up,” Jiang Ling said, puzzled.

“Yes,” Du Liang nodded. “Then Nero killed the prophet.”

“…I could have guessed it, I could have guessed it.” Jiang Ling held her forehead.

"After the prophet died, the remaining Christians found his body and discovered that he had turned into a piece of wax that looked exactly like him. They lit it, and after the candle melted completely, the prophet really came back to life! He even returned to his community and continued working." Du Liang laughed as he spoke, "It's a happy ending!"

"How can this really be a fairy tale?!" Jiang Ling said incredulously. "Besides, aren't miracles and resurrection Jesus's patent in Christianity? Wouldn't a prophet infringe on that? To be honest, it sounds more like the person wasn't really dead to begin with, and then made a deal with other believers to run away when things didn't work out. And isn't 'prophet' just a title?"

She finished speaking in one breath, panting as she leaned on the table. Cheng Xiangwu thought that this person might be able to have a conversation with Bai Yunxian, or she might not be able to at all.

“I also find it a bit strange,” Du Liang said, frowning. “Why would Nero be convinced after a miracle was performed, and then become kind to Christians?”

"...Perhaps it's because only gods can perform miracles?" Xie Wuchang tried to reply. "Has Ms. Du Qingyu answered this question?"

“Yes, there is.” Du Liang nodded. “My aunt said that people who can come back to life after death are terrifying and can frighten the emperor.”

"...What exactly is this fairy tale trying to express?" Jiang Ling took a deep breath.

“I don’t think that’s the case…” Du Liang glanced at the others and said in a low voice, “I think it is. If miracles can really bring the dead back to life, then that emperor could live a long time. My aunt said that the emperor didn’t live long before he died, but people with high official positions seem to want to live longer.”

As she finished speaking, she concluded, "So I think what this story is trying to say is that people who only focus on the surface will miss out on very important things!"

“…Wonderful.” Jiang Ling turned her head to the side and smiled, raising her hand to clap.

"Thank you, thank you!" Du Liang smiled very embarrassedly. Alice lifted her head off her lap in confusion, jumped onto the stone table, and then lay down again.

"Speaking of which," Xie Wuchang said, looking at Alice, "are these cats eating normally now?"

"What's the problem?" Jiang Ling asked, puzzled.

"I guess so." Du Liang thought for a moment. "Is it normal for Alice to eat salmon?"

“Just ordinary high-end consumption,” Jiang Ling nodded.

"Yeah, but I think salmon tastes a bit strange." Du Liang nodded. "But it doesn't eat anything else."

“…What an extravagant taste.” Jiang Ling looked at Alice. “It’s just an ordinary white cat.”

Alice was looking at her too.

"May I touch it?" Jiang Ling asked Du Liang.

"Sure!" Du Liang nodded. "We just took Alice to take a bath, and she smells really nice."

While Jiang Ling went to play with the cat, Xie Wuchang leaned closer to Cheng Xiang and asked, "I heard that Miss Gorson recently went home. What does that have to do with what they're doing?"

“Hmm…” Cheng Xiangwu thought for a moment, “I think so. It seems that Du Qingyu used some unknown substance to swap the meat out of the cats’ stomachs and then stepped forward to become the head of the Du family.”

Xie Wuchang gave him an expression that said, "Why are you only telling me this now?"

"...Anyway, there's nothing you can do about investigating the cat now," Cheng Xiangwu said. "Do you want to go to their house for another interview?"

"That's fine then." Xie Wuchang touched the bandage on his head, wiping a drop of blood from his finger. "Originally, I just wanted to solve a major case with a unique lead, like the captain, but now..."

As she spoke, her expression darkened again. "At the beginning, some people from the Municipal Public Security Bureau said that we were overstepping our bounds. The captain told us that it was okay to take the case back with a suicide conclusion, but we decided to investigate it to the end. The captain seemed very happy."

"And now?" Cheng Xiang asked.

Now that Han Lingfeng is seriously injured, and other officers in the team are also wounded to varying degrees, those who aren't physically injured are understandably distraught. The only people with any influence in the police station are Xie Wuchang and Jiang Ling; one is injured and the other is a technician, and in the end, it was discovered that Lin Che'an, who had previously been by their side, was untrustworthy. Under these circumstances, their decision to retreat is perfectly reasonable, and no one will blame them.

“…Sister Ling is considered the captain’s student. She has followed the captain to different teams many times. Wherever the captain goes, she goes.” Xie Wuchang looked at Jiang Ling not far away, his expression slightly relaxed. “Most of the other people in the team are from police academies. But I’m different. I entered through the national civil service exam. Ms. Fu is absolutely right. I’m an outsider no matter where I am.”

She looked at Cheng Xiangwu and said, "I want to become like the captain, someone that outsiders can trust and rely on, so I'm not leaving."

“…I see.” Cheng Xiangwu said. She could sense that something had risen in this person, perhaps it was the sense of mission that Xiao Fu had always looked down on.

"So what are your plans for the next step?" Xie Wuchang asked expectantly, cupping his face in his hands. "The captain seems to have some doubts about Lin Che'an's matter, but we'll have to wait until she wakes up to discuss it."

“We’re going to the mining area tomorrow,” Cheng Xiangwu said, then saw the person in front of him looking at him with an expression that seemed to say, “Why are you only telling me this now?”

“…Ahem.” Xie Wuchang cleared his throat and composed himself, then said solemnly, “You may be lacking a reliable enforcer.”

Cheng Xiangwu thought for a moment. If Xie Wuchang went with her, many things would be impossible to do, which would be too troublesome. So she decided to raise her hand to refuse.

“Ms. Cheng.” Xie Wuchang grasped Cheng Xiangwu’s raised hand. “The case work is suspended while the captain is hospitalized. I can accompany you in a personal capacity.”

As she spoke, she glanced at Du Liang, who was squatting next to Jiang Ling, and said with a friendly smile, "Ms. Du's identity has indeed been a problem in the long run, hasn't it? I can help with that."

“…Fine then.” Cheng Xiangwu really had nothing to say.

So she shook her hand up and down, and Xie Wuchang said with a smile, "Then please contact me if you have any news, good or bad."

As evening fell, Cheng Xiangwu went against the flow of students leaving school and entered the gate of No. 1 Middle School. Following the directions of the security personnel, she arrived at the comprehensive teaching building. The lights in the stairwell were on, but the classrooms were mostly dark. After a while, when the sky completely darkened, the ultraviolet rays would come on to disinfect these spaces and drive people away.

The classroom smelled terrible. Cheng Xiangwu took a step inside and then went out to take off her coat.

The chemistry classroom was completely unfamiliar to her, as was the little girl in the white lab coat. She sat in the swivel chair, watching the enigmatic scientist-looking enigma bustle about, telling her about her experience at the police station. Perhaps she'd spun around too much and her brain was acting up, but she felt a strange sense of familiarity with the scene.

“As expected, self-promotion is common to all religions.” Little F, wearing goggles and without looking up, criticized, “To call predatory behavior a trial of sinners is so self-centered that it’s enviable, as is that trust in faith.”

"Do you think Bai Langtao believes in this stuff too?" Cheng Xiangwu pondered, turning her head in circles.

“It’s hard to say. Didn’t Miss Lin Che’an say that most of the union’s funds flowed to this businessman? There’s no need for this among fellow believers.” Xiao Fu said, raising his goggles. “That’s about enough. Please have the experimenters take their positions.”

On the empty lab table, Xiao Fu prepared three versions of the experimental target: a solidified wax version based on the original menu, a semi-fluid wax version with lard replaced by adipocere, and a wax version with white chrysanthemum replaced by datura. Each cup was roughly the size of a palm, containing at most twenty milliliters.

"The ingredients are rare, please understand." Xiao Fu pulled a lighter out of his white coat and handed it to Cheng Xiangwu. "Come on, chef, show us your skills."

Cheng Xiangwu took the one-dollar lighter from the convenience store and decided to start with the basic version.

The trigger clicked, and a tiny flame, no bigger than a fingernail, illuminated a small patch of space. She tilted the lighter close to the wooden wick, the heat scorching the wood and even reaching her thumbnail. The wood quickly blackened and then caught the flame, igniting itself. The heat melted a small piece of wax near the wood, but the flame didn't last long; it burned through a small section of the wick before being inexplicably extinguished.

Cheng Xiangwu waved his hand to disperse the smoke and looked up at Xiao Fu, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"...Is the penetration ability of this formula really too low?" she said, first moving the first person out of the experimental group, and then taking out two gas masks from her pocket. "Although I don't think Miss Lin Che'an will be equipped with protective gear, just in case."

"How can we be sure this stuff works if no one inhales it?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.

"Then don't wear it." Little Fu reached out his hand.

"No." Cheng Xiangwu put it on.

The second cup was lit very easily, as smoothly as lighting a very ordinary candle. The two waited at the table, Xiao Fu's expression shifting from excitement to doubt, then to impatience, while nothing happened in the classroom. Finally, she had to confirm that it was just a normal candle lighting, and reluctantly waved her hand to extinguish the flame.

“…What is it that’s not right…” she said, turning around to look through some documents on another lab table piled with papers and books, before returning to the lab table.

Then came the last cup. Little F stared at the cup for a long time, then raised his hand and said, "Give me the lighter."

"You want to be a cook too?" Cheng Xiangwu said, tossing a lighter over.

Little F ignored those words, frowned, lit the fire, tilted it, and quickly burned her hand. She clicked her tongue, then raised her hand, tilted the candle cup, and relit the fire.

The oil lamp was lit, but nothing happened.

“…Where exactly is it…” she said, waving her hand to put out the fire.

Smoke curled upwards, and darkness gradually descended upon the outdoors.

"Why don't we find a way to steal what's readily available?" Cheng Xiangwu suggested.

“…We’re not really trying to summon anything, so there’s no point in doing so.” Little F said, turning his gaze back to the first cup of wax and placing it back on the lab table. The small round pit that had just melted was already showing signs of solidifying again, and the wood chip was still black.

"Could it be the temperature?" she said, raising her hand to look at the lighter's wattage, then turning to grab the alcohol lamp and using the wick to light the much larger flame.

This time, the already charred wood was only lit symbolically before being extinguished.

"This wax," Cheng Xiang pointed to the cup in Xiao Fu's hand, "was the same kind of sea monster fat from that wooden box?"

“Of course,” said Little Franz. “Isn’t this what the raw materials are like?”

“…Our family used to run a restaurant, and it was quite popular. How could we possibly use such expensive, scarce, and questionable ingredients to prepare our dishes?” Cheng Xiangwu said. “Back then, we didn’t even necessarily use whale blubber. As you said, that stuff is illegal.”

Xiao Fu stood there stunned for a while, holding the cup, then turned around and revealed a "why didn't you say so sooner?" expression through his mask.

“I just thought of that too.” Cheng Xiangwu shrugged. “Besides, Xiaobai said that the problem of not being able to light it has existed before, so the choice of sea monster fat shouldn’t be the main point.”

“…That’s true.” Little F looked at the cup in his hand and put it back on the table. “Let’s leave it at that for today.”

The two of them tidied up the classroom and left, stepping onto the front line illuminated by ultraviolet lights. Cheng Xiangwu carried an iron bucket, while Xiao Fu held the wooden box. At this time, the evening self-study session had just ended in the teaching building. Several students looked at the two of them, who seemed quite out of place in their school atmosphere, and occasionally exchanged a few words.

On the way home, Cheng Xiangwu explained Du Liang's whereabouts to Zhou Mi.

“Is that so…” Zhou Mi was still clearly worried. “She’s all alone with her cat. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Da Xian much lately. It’s not easy for either of them.”

Cheng Xiangwu didn't know what to say either, "Maybe they went on vacation."

"Alright," Zhou Mi reluctantly agreed. "Then I'll leave the box for next week and open it."

Cheng Xiangwu said nothing, simply greeted them, and left. Back at her apartment door, she found a note stuck there. Initially thinking it was a maintenance reminder, she peeled it off and read carefully: "Please don't give up on treatment! At least I won't. —Lin Che'an"

Holding this note, Cheng Xiangwu, who hadn't seemed to care about the suspect in the interrogation room, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. The night wind blew against her back from outside the corridor, stirring up the hairs on the back of her neck as she slept, mixed with cold sweat.

"Didn't I tell you this already?" Xiao Fu sneered. "Hurry up and come inside. Stop doing pointless ideological work with you, you worthless product."

Cheng Xiangwu had nothing to say and decided to burn the note later.

The apartment's refrigerator has recently accumulated a lot of inedible items, leaving the owner feeling helpless and forced to eat only what is still edible.

Dinner is served with oolong tea, which is effective in refreshing the mind.

The biggest inconvenience of nighttime operations is visibility, but fortunately, the two had legal reconnaissance experience in the morning, so practice makes perfect.

The car was parked outside the mountain road, and the two walked up the mountain. During the day, the inconspicuous stone lanterns, which were dark, lit up in pairs and pointed straight into the mountain. The natural noise and the tall shadows swayed, stretching out the desire called being selected by nature.

Hiking through the woods at this time of year is not a good idea, but the two had no other choice. The open-plan design of the Bai Mansion makes cleaning more difficult but also provides more open access options. All three floors are built against the mountain, so climbing up the mountain also means climbing up to the third floor.

The courtyard lights up, their reflections becoming part of the scenery. This scenery doesn't prioritize brightness, but rather whether it meets the designer's standards. These standards might garner a few compliments, and those compliments might include the designer's name, not their mentor's; this aspect is even less related to brightness. The living room, on the other hand, is much brighter, since the scenery here reflects the guests' faces.

Night had fallen, the second and third floors were dark, but the courtyard lights remained on. A faint light shone through the thick door of the third floor. I wondered what the view inside was like.

The two stood firm on the platform in front of the ancestral hall. Xiao Fu jumped off Cheng Xiangwu's back, took out a magnifying glass, and dutifully began his investigation.

During the day, half of the third floor, hidden in the mountains and forests, consists of only a single-story house with a triangular roof. There are no windows, no corridors extending to either side, and the plants lack maintenance and upkeep, making it look like an abandoned village house in the forest. But upon closer inspection, one can see that the single-story house is as large as a two-story living room. Cobwebs grow under the sheltered eaves, yet one can still see how the complex internal beam structure has supported and sheltered the village from the wind and rain for the past forty or fifty years.

The shadow of the hanging fish swayed in the wind; it was a whale.

“There are shoe prints,” Little Franz said in a low voice. “More than one kind, some new and some old.”

Now there are two more options. Cheng Xiang nodded and walked towards the door that was emitting warm light.

Little Fran took out her detection pocket watch, the pointer pointing inwards. She pressed herself against the crack in the door, and after a while, made a gesture that made a sound.

Although the door was sturdy, it didn't look locked. Cheng Xiangwu prepared himself and gently pushed it, trying to make it appear as if the door had been blown open by the wind.

There were faint popping sounds from inside the door, typical of candles, and the same smell she had caught in the laboratory that afternoon. But there was no reason for the third floor of the Bai residence to jump directly from the ancestral hall to the laboratory; there must have been something in between.

Push open the door, and you'll see it.

The door opened a crack, and two people leaped in, preventing the firelight from revealing too much of the secret.

Like all places of worship, the shrine was bright and spacious, with no obstructions except for a few black load-bearing pillars. A large portion of the central area had been hollowed out to create a square pond, in the center of which stood a large, charred tree of indistinguishable species, its trunk branching out completely about a meter from the water.

The tree cellar formed a large, empty space, leaving the ancestral hall without an object of worship.

Based on Bai Langtao's statement, Cheng Xiangwu could easily guess that there should have been a whale statue in the space where the branches were intersecting, probably similar to the fountain statue at the Senhu Grand Hotel.

Now, the empty tree cell is only idly hanging with a few red ropes hanging above it. Instead, fires have been lit at the tips of the branches, with the ignition points being distributed quite randomly. The pond water under the tree is pitch black, with only a few notable spots reflecting the flames.

In front of the square pond, directly opposite the door, next to the long table where offerings are placed, on the kneeling cushions prepared for believers, a person sits with their back to the visitor.

Leisurely yet upright, her silhouette resembled that of someone still working late into the night, a blanket draped over her shoulders, beneath which were the rolled-up sleeves of her shirt, their original color blurred by the firelight. Her movements were more like working than worshipping, and indeed, the altar held some things the gods might not want, such as a laptop.

Before turning around, she closed the laptop.

“You didn’t even knock.” Bai Yuntian still frowned.

She stood up and stretched her shoulders and neck, causing the blanket to slip onto the cushion and pile up. She paused, bent down, folded it neatly, and placed it back on the cushion.

"...Baiyuntian?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.

"Cheng Xiangwu." Bai Yuntian's voice seemed to always remain on the same tone, as was his volume. "You shouldn't be here at this time."

After saying that, she glanced at Xiao Fu. Although they were about the same height, she always managed to look down on others.

“Ms. Bai Yuntian, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Xiao Fu stared at her. “It seems you have similar symptoms to Ms. Gu Wanqiu.”

"I have no need for a doctor like you, nor do I need anyone to sympathize with me," Bai Yuntian said arrogantly. "Furthermore, I have no need for two people who illegally trespassed on my private residence to work for me. Now, you'd better give me a reasonable explanation."

Her voice echoed in the ancestral hall, like heavenly music.

“…We need to do some preliminary work, such as practice.” Little F was completely unashamed as he spoke, his gaze falling on the pool of water. “Practice requires materials, and we are quite troubled by this.”

Sparks flew up and a wisp of black ash fell, rippling the surface of the pool; it was much thicker than water.

“You’re downplaying the important issues. The agreement we signed previously stated that you could ask for anything you needed, but you still came here.” Bai Yuntian’s tone remained unwavering and unquestionable. “You know about what happened thirty years ago and have become suspicious of this place.”

"Bai Langtao told me himself," Cheng Xiangwu tried to defend himself.

“It’s understandable that you suspect her,” Bai Yuntian said confidently. “But now I understand why you didn’t suspect her in the first place.”

She seemed to have figured something out, nodded, turned to the side and picked up a long sword from the table. The cold weapon, about an inch wide, was sheathed. With a push of her thumb, she drew the sword.

A flash of silver light, and the blade met the leaping flames.

“You don’t trust her, so naturally you won’t help her, and you know too much.” Bai Yuntian nodded and said firmly, “Now, you are harmful to the Bai family.”

The sword tip dipped to the ground of the ancestral hall, the silver light unable to adhere to the stone bricks. With a flicker of flame, the swordswoman stood firm at her new foothold before the candlelight. With her back to Chi Guang and Hei Mu, she raised her long sword high, her wide stance bringing not only the wind but also exposing her upper body to Cheng Xiang Wu's view.

"when--"

The silver sword slashed at the blades of the two swords, and Cheng Xiang kicked the person who had started the fight for no reason away. Bai Yuntian pressed down on the sword and landed on one knee, then stood up again after stabilizing his body.

Little Franz quickly stepped aside and tried to speak, "We—"

“Cheng Xiangwu, you are no ordinary cook.” Bai Yuntian ignored Xiao Fu, raised his longsword again, and looked up at Cheng Xiangwu. “No, your file is completely unreliable.”

She raised her chin again and said confidently, "An assassin is coming to kill me in the next couple of days, and that person is you."

Cheng Xiangwu was shocked; a major career crisis had truly occurred, but fortunately, there was still a chance to salvage the situation.

"...Now you have no choice but to die." She sighed.

Bai Yuntian met the double blades with his longsword, took a step back to withstand the impact and slid his sword to deflect the force, then turned his sword and slashed down with the momentum of a white crane spreading its wings.

It's rare to see people fighting with such fancy cold weapons, but Cheng Xiangwu has no desire to fight now. She raised her hand and used the hilt of her knife to knock open Bai Yuntian's wrist. While he was numb, she slipped her other hand between his arms and thrust the tip of her knife into his chin from bottom to top. Then, she lifted her wrist and pushed it out, so that his chin touched the hilt of the knife and the tip of the knife protruded from his skull.

In an assassin's job, killing is just the simplest step; after all, humans have been able to do something similar since before they were born.

"Clang—" The silver sword fell to the ground, Cheng Xiangwu drew his knife, and Bai Yuntian also fell to the ground.

However, there was no blood on the knife.

One hand, two hands, three hands, countless hands reached out from the shadows to help Bai Yuntian, who had fallen to the ground.

Against the firelight, her arms were raised, her body suspended in the air, her toes touching the ground. Her two hands picked up the neatly folded cloth from the prayer mat and draped it over her shoulders, while her other hand covered her face with a blank mask.

The truth was thus concealed, and the circumstances of the death remained unclear.

"...Like this." Little F chuckled, raising his hand to slap himself on the head. "What was I even thinking..."

Cheng Xiangwu didn't know what Xiao Fu was thinking, but she knew what was happening in front of her, recognized what the thing that had stood up again was, and knew many secrets that were about to be revealed.

The cloak twisted and changed color and shape, finally settling into a silver suit of armor. The mask also transformed into a matching helmet. One hand picked up the longsword from the ground and handed it to the newly-formed knight. She took it with both hands and placed it in front of her, the tip of the sword touching the ground again.

She looks exactly like the chairman's secretary—no, the one standing in front of the chairman's office.

The silver knight raised her sword, bent down, and attacked Cheng Xiangwu with a wide-open attack once again. But this time, her weak point was covered by armor. When Cheng Xiangwu raised her hand to catch it, her arms bent. Obviously, the opponent's strength was much greater than before.

"Hold on a bit," Xiao Fu said, running towards the pool, avoiding the center of the fight.

The knight clearly understood what he was saying. He turned his helmet around, pressed down and pulled back his longsword, and raised his hand to throw it behind Little F.

"bite--"

Cheng Xiangwu thrust the tip of his knife into the seam of the elbow joint of the right wrist guard, then pried it off with his backhand. The stone brick fell off the armor on the arm, and the hand holding the sword loosened its grip.

In the face of danger, Xiao Fu disregarded his dignity and tore off his scarf to strike the flames on the branch, dimming the light slightly.

The knight flung off his half-fallen arm armor, his bulging veins meeting the air, a bit of shirt fabric peeking out from the upper seam. He gripped the sword hilt with his bare hand, using his left arm guard as a shield to try and deflect the swordsman.

The light dimmed another inch.

Cheng Xiangwu sidestepped to avoid getting close again, bent her arm to grab his left arm. The armor was a little hot. She turned her knife to block the silver light that was thrusting at her, flipped back and leaped, knocking the longsword away while cutting off his right arm from the shoulder.

But soon, the little helper picked up the arm and the longsword and floated over again.

The light dimmed another inch.

The ancestral hall was so dark that Cheng Xiangwu could hardly see her surroundings. Only the silver longsword shone like a thick white line. She squinted and raised her sword to block the thrusting sword. The force was much lighter than she had expected. She tried to pull back, but the longsword hooked her twin swords and stuck her in place.

The light dimmed even further, and now she couldn't see anything at all. Suddenly, her breath caught in her throat as a hand grabbed her neck and slammed her to the ground.

The pain in her back and the back of her head was not enough to suppress the sense of crisis brought about by suffocation. Cheng Xiangwu gritted her teeth, exerted force with both arms, and broke the silver sword that was trapping her hands.

Silver metal fragments scattered like starlight, the white disappeared, and she felt her vision go black due to lack of oxygen or vision problems.

Taking advantage of the moment when the opponent relaxed their grip, Cheng Xiangwu took a deep breath and stabbed the twin blades into what should be the gap in the neck armor. The feel indicated that it was the right spot, but the suffocating sensation made him wonder if that was really the case.

The light went completely dark.

The knife went in another inch, but the hand on his neck didn't loosen its grip; in fact, it tightened its hold even more.

The knife went in another inch, and the hand at his neck began to tremble.

The knife went in another inch, the feeling of suffocation disappeared, and the skin on my neck felt a slight chill as the air hit it.

Cheng Xiangwu quickly rolled over and lay face down, taking a deep breath, which also triggered a cough, "Cough cough cough—"

With no new enemies appearing, Xiao Fu quickly stepped forward and picked up the two kitchen knives that had been thrown to the ground. "We have to go."

Cheng Xiang didn't move for a moment. She looked up and saw a pitch-black space, which was both the space and the progress of her mission.

"...Don't think about that now!" Xiao Fu tugged at Cheng Xiangwu's clothes, but couldn't budge them. He said urgently in a low voice, "If you keep looking, your future will be bleak!"

Cheng Xiangwu felt that this was about right.

"I hear footsteps." Little F paused, then increased the pressure in his hands. "Get moving!"

Being seen now is merely an earlier announcement of the end of his career.

Seeing that the person still didn't move, Xiao Fu clicked his tongue and lowered his voice to persuade, "Aren't we dealing with that thing right now? It obviously has a communication barrier with ordinary people, and of course it does with Bai Langtao. Let's hurry up and leave. If we can resolve this before the Bai family finds out, then we've succeeded!"

"...Really?" Cheng Xiangwu asked in a hoarse voice, feeling that her future had become bright again and her vision had cleared up.

"That's because someone's approaching with a light, move quickly!" Little Fu could barely contain himself, gritting his teeth and tugging at his arm, "Really, really, I promise you!"

Footsteps approached, paused for a moment outside the ancestral hall, and then the door swung open, letting in fresh air.

Moonlight and lamplight shone into the ancestral hall, casting glints of silver light on the black bricks. The person carrying the lantern stepped inside and saw only a prayer cushion, office supplies on the offering table, a dark pond, and a tree with a withered lamp.

Cheng Xiangwu carried Xiao Fu on his back and rushed out the door. After watching the figure for a while, he turned around and went down the mountain at the urging of the person on his back.

That person was Fu Xiao.

The mountain night breeze was cool, and the branches, leaves, or anything more active brushing against Cheng Xiangwu's neck made her itchy. Fortunately, Xiao Fu could barely be considered a qualified neck protector, but compared to that, she clearly had more work she wanted to do.

“It’s adipocere,” she murmured to herself. “What’s missing is the information contained within the adipocere. Ordinary materials don’t contain information that’s specifically guided. Only when the environment around the special material CSSS-1 is clean enough can her information be accurately identified. It has nothing to do with sight.”

Cheng Xiangwu had no idea that they had encountered that kind of material before.

"...It refers to Miss Gorson, but that's not the point." Little Fu excitedly said, patting Cheng Xiangwu's head, "The Bai family's wax material is made from the corpse wax of Bai Yuntian!"

What about before she died?

“Those union members who went missing or were imprisoned,” Little F said confidently, “have the potential to contain similar information if they had close contact with that UFO. Is the information latent in fat? Sweat? Blood? It's even hard to say whether those sensors truly include a sense of smell; human pheromone secretion and reception are quite weak…”

Before the conversation veered completely into parts that Cheng Xiangwu couldn't understand, she led Xiao Fu back to the parking spot, and the two quickly got into the car to go home and rest before dawn.

The wounds inflicted by Bai Yuntian were not numerous; the main issue was the contusion to the neck muscles. Cheng Xiangwu touched his neck, realizing that eating might be a bit difficult for the next couple of days.

Her kitchen knife was more seriously injured than her neck, after all, it never intended to be used to open a human-shaped can.

As soon as Xiao Fu got home, he rushed into his study and began writing furiously. After fiddling around for a while, he went out and saw Cheng Xiangwu sharpening knives in the kitchen.

Under the moonlight, the knife sharpener held the blade up to the light, a flash of cold gleam passing by.

"Perfect." Little F took an apple out of the refrigerator. "Please peel it."

Cheng Xiangwu took the apple, held it in her palm, pressed the blade against it with her thumb, used her index finger to apply force, and then used the other three fingers to rotate the fruit. With her other hand, she took a plate from the cupboard and placed it on the kitchen counter. The apple had already peeled completely. She smiled with satisfaction and used the knife to cut it into small pieces.

“Thank you for your work.” Xiao Fu leaned against the side and picked up a slice of apple. “I also met Ms. Fu Xiao, who is Bai Yunjian’s wife. She had visited the ancestral hall several times before, but she never went inside.”

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiangwu recalled their chance encounter halfway up the mountain, and thinking about it this way, she didn't really want to see Bai Langtao.

“She’s not a local of Senhu City; she’s an antique dealer.” Little Fu said thoughtfully. “Bai Langtao is an elder to her who needs to be respected but not someone she needs to worry about. She naturally wouldn’t take the initiative to see him unless absolutely necessary.”

The apple was crunchy, but swallowing it felt like swallowing stones.

"...In short, I've never heard of any treasure in the Bai family ancestral hall that would make her climb the mountain in the middle of the night with a lantern to search for it." Xiao Fu straightened up. "We'll talk about this later. You'd better go and rest now; we'll need your help tomorrow."

Cheng Xiang washed the five knives and pointed to the plate.

“…Okay, I’ll take care of it.” Little F sighed.

Not long after dawn, someone knocked on the apartment door. Cheng Xiangwu opened her eyes, touched the bandage on her neck, and got up to go to the entrance without changing her pajamas.

Standing outside the peephole was Bai Yunxian, carrying a toolbox. She had just put on a vest and went out, and in the early morning, she was so cold that she kept touching her arms.

"...So early in the morning—" Her rambling stopped abruptly when the door opened, "...you..."

"Why are you here so early?" Cheng Xiangwu said. She could speak after a nap, but her voice was still not very loud. She took a pair of slippers from the shoe rack and threw them on the ground. "Keep your voice down, someone is sleeping."

"...What happened to your neck?" Bai Yunxian asked softly as she entered the room and changed her shoes.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiangwu turned around and glanced at the man's legs. She couldn't see any external injuries through his work pants, but judging from his walking posture, he certainly didn't have any mobility impairment. She then touched her own neck and sighed, thinking that Bai Yuntian knew how to distinguish between light and heavy blows when disciplining someone.

"I have a stiff neck," she replied.

"Did the stiff neck also twist your vocal cords?" Bai Yunxian questioned.

"Mmm." Cheng Xiang nodded.

"You really think I'd believe that?" Bai Yunxian said angrily.

"Hey..." Cheng Xiang walked into the house without turning her head. "I'm going to wash up first. Please sit wherever you like."

He then temporarily shut out the almost tangible gaze from the bedroom door.

After washing up, changing clothes, braiding her hair, and taking what she needed, Cheng Xiangwu put on new medicine and went out of the bedroom. What she saw was Bai Yunxian squatting next to the refrigerator.

"...What's in your refrigerator?" She took out the bucket, lifted the protective cover, smelled it, and gagged.

Seeing that she was about to reach out and touch Xiao Fu's precious wooden box, Cheng Xiangwu quickly stepped forward to stop her, saying, "This is not for eating."

"Do I look like I want to eat this?" Bai Yunxian asked. "This is from your middleman."

"Okay." Cheng Xiang nodded and closed the refrigerator door. "Let's go have breakfast."

For some reason, Bai Yunxian looked very unhappy when she stood up.

As Cheng Xiang went out wearing her coat, she turned around five times and found that the person was still standing in the corridor.

"...Do you need a coat?" Cheng Xiang asked.

Bai Yunxian looked at her for a long time, and finally sighed, "Yes."

The streets are gradually getting noisy on weekdays. People in school uniforms and shirts are riding bikes and driving cars. People are walking their dogs and holding their children's leashes. Everyone is always busy.

Cheng Xiangwu, who had intended to go to the breakfast stall as usual, was reminded by the morning breeze that she could barely afford a Coke these days, so she shouldn't even think about having breakfast. So she turned around and asked the person behind her what they wanted to eat.

"I can't hear you." Bai Yunxian moved closer. "But with you like this, don't even think about having breakfast. Come with me to find a place to have coffee."

So the two sat down at their familiar random coffee shop, where the noise was gone and the conversation was more relaxed.

“I didn’t originally plan to come see you this early today,” Bai Yunxian said, glancing at the menu in her hand. “But firstly, I woke up in the early hours of the morning, and secondly, someone inexplicably came to our house to do some construction work early this morning.”

“…I see.” Cheng Xiangwu felt a little guilty.

"Yes, I heard that something happened in the ancestral hall on the third floor. It's an old building, and last night several bricks on the floor inexplicably cracked." Bai Yunxian nodded seriously.

“Eh…” Cheng Xiangwu took a sip of water.

"And the things that were originally inside are broken. Want to guess what broke?" Bai Yunxian adjusted her glasses, smiled, and propped her face up as she looked at the person opposite her.

"What is it?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.

Bai Yunxian just smiled and stared at her. The smile looked a bit like Bai Langtao's—wide but not friendly.

"Hello, may I order now?" The waiter walked over quickly with a small notebook in hand.

"I'd like a signature sandwich and a caramel macchiato, iced." Bai Yunxian closed the menu and handed it to the waiter. "And bring this person a caramel pudding and warm milk, please."

But Cheng Xiangwu didn't want to eat something that felt almost like air when chewed. "I—"

"Xiangxiang," Bai Yunxian interrupted, asking with a mixture of kindness and concern, "Can you tell me how the injury on your neck happened?"

The waiter tactfully walked away quickly.

This scene gave Cheng Xiangwu goosebumps, and she decided never to come to this coffee shop again.

“...I got into a fight,” she whispered.

"With whom?" Bai Yunxian asked with a smile.

“…Your sister,” Cheng Xiangwu whispered.

"When?" Bai Yunxian asked.

“Last night,” Cheng Xiangwu said.

"Where?" Bai Yunxian asked.

Cheng Xiangwu remained silent.

"Alright." Bai Yunxian nodded. "So, whose idea was it?"

Cheng Xiangwu lowered his head to look at the teacup.

“…Cheng Xiangwu.” Bai Yunxian’s smile faded. “You should know better than me what’s in your refrigerator. It violates food safety rules to have it in the refrigerator, and it’s illegal to have it in your home. And the person who knows better than you is your real estate agent.”

“Actually,” Cheng Xiangwu said softly, “it’s been done through legitimate channels, and it’s not poisonous at all.”

After all, Xiao Fu ate that apple last night.

"What will you do when the moment comes that you can no longer find a way out?" Bai Yunxian asked, frowning. "I'm not talking about her, I'm talking about you. Why, after all these years, do you still act like you don't consider the consequences for your future?"

"...You're criticizing me for this?" Cheng Xiangwu looked at the person opposite her who had recently dug up her ancestral grave with suspicion. "Did you consider Bai Langtao's feelings when you did that?"

"I've thought about it," Bai Yunxian said calmly. "The worst that could happen is that they'd beat me up and kick me out of the house, but all they did was beat me up."

“…You’re quite lucky,” Cheng Xiangwu said.

“That’s right.” Bai Yunxian laughed. “I’m very skilled at preparing what to abandon in order to do something.”

After saying that, she looked at the person in front of her seriously, "Although it is often said that morality is a limitation of human development, development is general, but morality is something that human society needs. I know many people who use limitations as a safety rope, but your intermediary doesn't even need this rope. If common sense is the bottom line, then she would have jumped over it long ago."

After speaking, she paused, silently awaiting a response. The waiter brought the drinks, placing a glass and a ceramic cup in front of them respectively, with a napkin folded underneath. Bai Yunxian thanked him and shook the straw to let the caramel sink.

Cheng Xiangwu understood what she was saying, but she didn't comprehend it either.

“…I don’t really understand,” she said. “Why do you care so much?”

After a long silence, Bai Yunxian asked, "What do you mean by 'meddling so much'?"

"You can't even manage your own family's affairs, your sister's, your mother's," Cheng Xiangwu said, puzzled. "Besides, you're perfectly fine on your own. Their current situation is the consequence of their choices. Since you can't control their attitudes, what do their consequences have to do with you?"

“...because they are my family,” Bai Yunxian said.

"How many times a year do you see them?" Cheng Xiangwu still didn't understand. "And why do you think I'll understand just because you said that?"

Bai Yunxian remained silent.

“I don’t know anything about this, so I won’t ask any more questions.” Cheng Xiangwu shook her head and looked at the other person. “The last time we met was more than ten years ago, right? You asked me for help, and I nodded. Isn’t that enough?”

It's like cooperation.

"You didn't recognize me at the train station before," Bai Yunxian said. "Who do you think I am?"

Cheng Xiangwu originally wanted to say "an acquaintance she hadn't seen in a long time," but then she remembered Xiao Fu saying that Bai Yunxian thought she disliked their family, so she thought about her previous thoughts again and said, "a stranger with some connection."

"...Is it because we haven't seen each other for a long time that we feel unfamiliar?" Bai Yunxian asked.

"It's because of that thing," Cheng Xiangwu thought for a moment, considering the wording Zhou Mi had mentioned, "favorability, I guess."

After offsetting the positive and negative factors, even ordinary strangers can be considered friendly.

"What is that?" Bai Yunxian chuckled.

She raised her hand, took off her glasses and put them aside, then rubbed her temples. "I don't agree with the formalization of social relationships. I believe that a relationship is a relationship, it is logic. It does not decline or disappear because of changes in the quantities on both sides of the equation, nor is it born from the accumulation of quantity."

"What is that?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.

"You ask me why I meddle in our family affairs, meddling in your affairs, meddling in so much." Bai Yunxian propped her head up and looked ahead. "You think our relationship isn't enough to support my actions, not enough for me to care about your future."

Cheng Xiang nodded five times.

“That’s enough. For me, the existence of these relationships is enough,” Bai Yunxian said. “I care about you all.”

Even as she spoke, her voice remained calm, as if she were reading a report, presenting a convincing argument: "I have a relationship with my family, but basically no relationship with the Bai family, so it's reasonable for me to use my family as a sacrifice to find out the truth for them. I have a relationship with you, so the gap of more than ten years doesn't matter; I care about you. I'll be troubled if my family has problems, and I'll be troubled if you have problems. I'm really not a talented or capable person, so I have to take preventative measures."

The waiter brought the food, and Bai Yunxian thanked him.

Then, she looked at Cheng Xiangwu and asked, "Now, do you understand?"

"...Why?" Cheng Xiangwu kept asking.

“Because…” Bai Yunxian sighed and said, “Because I’m really not smart enough.”

The two remained silent at the coffee table for a long time. Cheng Xiangwu also thought for a long time. She couldn't figure it out, but she didn't want to ask any more questions.

"Your sister is dead," Cheng Xiangwu said, holding the ceramic cup. "What would you do if your mother died too?"

“…I might cry at the funeral, or I might not,” Bai Yunxian said. “Then I will watch them be cremated to prevent a second me from appearing in our family. Some of my ashes will be placed in the grave, and some will be scattered in the sea. My mother said that she used to want to be a sailor, but she had never seen the sea.”

She put the glasses back on. "My sister said she doesn't care about what happens after she dies, so it doesn't matter."

“…Like this.” Cheng Xiangwu said, raising his glass to take a sip of milk, the heated protein emitting a fragrant aroma.

"...She really is dead?" Bai Yunxian asked, looking up.

"Six months ago," Cheng Xiangwu touched his neck, "Last night, the one who beat you up, it was all... the work of a ghost."

“…Sigh.” Bai Yunxian took a big gulp of coffee and sighed.

Cheng Xiangwu scooped up a spoonful of pudding and ate it; the taste was rather uninteresting.

"I'll ask your real estate agent about this." Bai Yunxian picked up half a sandwich. "How long is she going to stay at your place?"

"I don't know," Cheng Xiangwu said. "I'll leave once the matter is resolved."

"And you?" Bai Yunxian asked.

"Let's leave once this is resolved," Cheng Xiangwu said. "You too?"

It seems that once this place is no longer a source of worry or a headache, they will all leave, returning only occasionally when they think of it, or simply thinking about it before continuing with their own lives.

“You can’t just stay at home all the time.” Bai Yunxian nodded. “But honestly, even if that agency does introduce you to a job, you have to think twice. You can’t figure out what she’s up to, so you have to make sure you have a backup plan. Do you understand what a backup plan is?”

"...Don't worry," Cheng Xiangwu whispered. "What kind of good person am I, who can live with her?"

"Cough cough—" Bai Yunxian choked on the sandwich.

Cheng Xiang pushed the pudding over.

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